


The Further Tales of Lin Beifong

by OurImpavidHeroine



Series: A Precarious Family Legacy or: How the Beifongs Got Their Groove Back [2]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: F/M, One Shot Collection, Post-Canon, Post-Series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-17
Updated: 2017-05-28
Packaged: 2018-08-22 23:18:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 20,931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8305072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OurImpavidHeroine/pseuds/OurImpavidHeroine
Summary: A collection of one-shot stories that focus on Lin Beifong: Part of my post-series and post-canon Wuko universe.No rhyme or reason to them; sometimes they just come to me, sometimes people request them, sometimes they are scenes that don't make it through cuts. I'll just post them as I write them!These one-shots will be kept in chronological order.





	1. An Ordained Agreement: Lin Meets Qi

**Author's Note:**

> (Some of these drabbles were already posted in my [Bits and Pieces; Dribs and Drabs](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4068133/chapters/9157390) collection and have been moved here for ease of reading.)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin has a discussion with Qi.
> 
> Going waaaaay back in time, here. Back to when Qi first came to work for Wu. Per a request.

Lin stood by the garage door, watching the kid doing something under the hood of Wu's ridiculous yellow car. Up to the elbows in engine grease, wearing a coverall that had come from who knows where, shaggy hair falling over one eye. Qi was the name given and she supposed it was probably the name the kid's mother had bestowed, once upon a time. Thin as all get out. Some people were naturally that way, of course, but she was going on the assumption that this one hadn't seen regular meals for a fuck of a long time, if ever. She'd asked LoLo, Wu's cook - or was it nanny, she wasn't quite clear, and neither was Mako, she'd wager - and he'd told her that the kid wolfed down every meal with gusto. _Nothing but a hungry little slip of a thing,_ LoLo had said, rapidly slicing an onion as he grinned a damned sassy dimple at her, _but you let me handle that._

"Something wrong with the engine?" she asked, and the kid bolted up to stare at her, eyes wide, nostrils flaring. Scared, too, although it was immediately hidden behind bravado.

"I ain't doin' nothin' wrong. Mister said I could do it. You go and ask him. I ain't lyin'." The long chin pointed her way defensively. She'd thought at first that the hoarse voice was faked; a disguise of sorts to match the baggy clothes and hunched over posture that made the kid appear smaller and shorter. The kid never changed it, though; not even when startled. The voice, at least, she was willing to believe was the real deal.

"I never said you were." She uncrossed her arms and took a step or two into the garage, careful not to move too quickly or too close. "I was just wondering if there was a problem. Asami Sato stands by her cars and that's a new one. She'd want to know if something was wrong."

The kid scowled. "Thought I heard it runnin' a bit rough but mebbe not. Thought I'd check it. But I ain't gonna break it, if that's what you're thinkin'."

She nodded. "Well, even if you did I suppose it wouldn't matter. Wu would just buy a new one."  She tilted her head a bit. "He could afford it."

One dirty hand went up on the hip. "If you're askin' if I know he's rich then the answer is yeah. I ain't stupid. He don't live in this big mansion unless he's loaded. And I ain't gonna steal from him neither before you go accusin' me of that. I got my loyalties no matter what you think of me."

Lin raised an eyebrow and grunted an acknowledgement. "So, Qi, is it?" Another step closer.

The scowl deepened. "Yeah. That's my name. What of it? I ain't changed it or nothin'."

"You always this defensive?"

"You always this nosy?"

That actually got a little laugh out of her. "I'm the chief of police. So yes, I am always this nosy."

"Well, I ain't lyin'. It's Qi." The kid took up a wrench and with a sullen glare in her direction started to tinker again, for all intents and purposes ignoring her. She might have been fooled if not for the white knuckles around the wrench itself.

"How old are you?" 

The kid didn't look up. "I'm sixteen." The nostrils flared slightly again and one shoulder hunched up. There was the tell, or else she'd eat her gauntlets.

"Really." It wasn't a question.

The kid wouldn't meet her eyes. "What's it to you?" was muttered, and the wrench was soundly banged on the engine.

"If someone is going to be driving Prince Wu around the city then I consider that person my business. So. I'll ask again. How old are you?"

"I said sixteen!" Up went the chin, the hazel eyes flashing. "You callin' me a liar?"

"Yes," she said, keeping her tone mild. "How old are you really? Thirteen? Fourteen?" The kid stepped back, eyes darting to and fro, hands raised defensively. She sighed. "So which is it, then?"

The kid stared at her, those eyes pleading. "I ain't...I'm a good driver, I ain't gonna crash his car. I been practicin' lots."

"How old, Qi? Don't lie to me, either."

The eyes went glossy with unshed tears. "I...I be fourteen next week. I swear it. I ain't lyin'. I know when my birthday is, I ain't makin' it up."

"Wu's birthday is two weeks from now. Almost the same birthday, then."

The eyes were quickly wiped with fierce jerks on the shoulders of the coverall. "I'm a good driver. I am. You gotta believe me. I won't do nothin' wrong. I'll work real hard."

She sighed again. "So you really think I should let some thirteen year old kid who can barely reach the pedals drive around the former king of the Earth Kingdom?"

The kid stood up taller, revealing a little unused height. Not as tall as she was, but not quite as short as she'd first thought, either. "I be fourteen next week! And I can reach the pedals. I ain't a baby, you know. Been livin' on my own for a long time. I know what I'm doin'."

She stood there for a moment, trying to get the kid's measure. "Fine. Let's go."

"Go? What you talkin' about?"

"In the car. We're going for a drive. You and me. You're driving."

"I...where you wanna go?"

"You know Chin's? By the police station?"

The kid nodded, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Yeah."

"You can drive me there."

The kid's head started to shake back and forth. "I ain't goin' over there. You just gonna arrest me or somethin'."

"No, I'm going to see how well you can drive and then I am going to buy us some lunch. No arresting anyone today. For one thing, it's my day off. For another, if I arrested you I'd never hear the end of it from Wu and that man can nag worse than my grandfather. And my grandfather was one almighty fuck of a nagger, too."

The kid's mouth pursed up, thinking about it. Finally the arms crossed up and over the chest. "I can't go like this. Gotta wash my hands and change out of this thing. I ain't gonna get dirt in his car." 

She nodded her approval. "I'll wait." The hood of the car was slammed down and the kid disappeared up the stairs to the flat above the garage. She wandered about the garage while she waited, peering at the tools the kid had been using. All of them were lined up by height and even the one the kid had been using had been put away; there was no clutter, no mess. The tools had been cleaned as well. Whatever else you wanted to say about this Qi, the kid knew how to keep things tidy. Lin appreciated this about a person. She sat down in the passenger's seat and waited until the kid came back down and started up the car and pulled out, hopping out after putting on the brake to close the garage door before driving out into the street.

The kid was actually a decent driver, which surprised her. Drove a little too fast for her liking; bit of a lead foot, for sure. But the Satomobile was handled well around the corners and that was saying something, seeing as it was a big car and heavy, what with all of the ornamentation and such. She preferred Asami's lighter and sportier models herself. She smiled to herself, sitting in the front seat. For a for a man who had willingly abdicated his throne Wu surely did like to play king around Republic City. 

"Why you smilin'?" Qi's eyes were firmly on the road.

"Hmm? Ah, just thinking about how much Wu still likes to play the King."

"How come he ain't no more? Bein' the king, I mean." Qi's arm shot out of the driver's side window and signaled a left turn.

"Lots of reasons, I suppose, but the political one is that the Earth Kingdom hasn't been stable for years. It was either abdicate and see it into a democracy or sit back and watch it continue to tear itself apart."

"He used to be in the news here lots. In the papers, I mean. I remember his pictures." A very quick flick of Qi's eyes. "I don't mean I read 'em or nothin'...well. You know."

"Don't read?" She kept her voice level. "I don't suppose you would have gotten much of a chance, not on the streets. The only reason Mako reads is because he had gotten in some schooling before his parents died."

"Heard about him some. On the streets, I mean. Didn't realize it was who he was at first. But it's the same Mako who did for that Shizu the Scorpion, ain't it? Stuck him for goin' after his brother?"

Lin nodded. "That was him. He's never spoken about it to me but I figured it out when I first met him, years ago. I am a police officer, after all. Figuring out things is what I do."

"Street rats, we know about it. Guy like The Scorpion, kids gotta stay clear of him. Bad news, them guys. Don't hold with nobody who goes after little kids." Qi pulled into an empty parking space around the corner from the restaurant and met Lin's eyes as the engine was turned off. "It ain't right. Not with little kids. It ain't right."

Lin didn't open her door. "So is that what this is for?" She gestured at Qi's baggy tunic and trousers; clean now, but clearly too big and misshapen. "Is that why you're hiding behind all of those clothes?" She risked a gentle hand on Qi's arm. "You don't need to, you know. You're safe in that house. No one there will come after you that way. I give you my word."

Qi's eyes slid away from her, to focus on the hands that were nervously plucking at the leather of the steering wheel. "It ain't that." Qi's voice was so soft she could barely make it out over the street noise outside the confines of the car. "I don't worry none about the Mister and that husband of his, he don't look at me that way. And that LoLo fellow, he ain't been nothin' but kind to me, clearly sees me as a kid and don't have no interest. But even before, it wasn't like that. It...it ain't that I'm hiding. I just don't..." There was a shrug and Qi's gaze hesitantly met hers. "It don't feel right to me. Not bein' a boy, not being a girl, not bein' either of those things. Sometimes I feel one way and sometimes I don't and it changes for me." Another shrug, and the fingers plucked at the folds in the trousers. "I don't know how to explain it. I ain't tryin' to fool no one, but it don't feel right to say I'm one thing or the other. Not even when I was just a little one."

Lin's hand tightened almost imperceptibly. "Qi, did anyone harm you? When you were little?"

Qi's head shook. "No. I weren't always on the street. I...I don't remember my Mama, but she were a whore and I lived for a time in her house, earnin' my keep." The chin swung up suddenly and Qi's gaze was intense. "But I ain't no whore! I never was. They tried-" Qi's breath sucked in and then went silent, the cheeks going pale.

"They tried to sell you? What happened? Can you tell me?" Her heart was aching. No matter how much she tried to harden herself, when the victims were children she couldn't help but get emotionally involved. Her mother had always told her that it was a failing as a cop; she wasn't so sure about that, though. How the hell could she help but feel for this frightened child next to her?

"They sold me. I was nine. To One-Eyed Chan." The arm was trembling a little under her hand. "But I didn't! I never did! I run away and took up on my own."

Lin quickly did the math in her head and her eyes closed for just a moment before opening again.  "You know, One-Eyed Chan was found dead. Blunt force trauma to the head. There was another man found next to him, dead as well. Someone had stabbed a needle through his eye and what his wife identified as his own pocket knife was stuck in his throat. He worked for the National Republic Bank. We found out as we were investigating the case that he had a thing for kids, so we assumed he'd been there as a customer. Just destroyed his poor wife, I remember. That was about what, four and a half years ago?" Qi's eyes were wide with fear, breaths starting to come in hard and fast. "We never did find out who did it. It happens like that, more often than I'd like it to, sorry to say. There was no one to care about One-Eyed Chan, of course. Plenty of people wanted him dead, he had a lot of enemies. His death was no loss to the world. I always assumed that the banker was in the wrong place at the wrong time. His family never pushed for us to solve the case; they just wanted it kept out of the news and as it was his wife took their children and left Republic City. It's what we call a cold case now." She lightly stroked along Qi's still trembling arm. "By that I mean, I'm certainly not going to provide any more manpower to figure out a nearly five year old cold case of a child pimp and a dead pervert. Case closed and justice served, as far as I am concerned. Sometimes it works out that way."

Qi kept swallowing. "I don't..."

"So no one is going to be investigating that case. It's over. It's done. You understand me?"

Qi nodded, breathing calming down a little.

"And it's not professional of me to say so, but good fucking riddance. There's not a cop in this city that would shed a tear over a dead pimp, Qi, and especially not one that brokered in children. And that includes Mako, by the way. So whomever it was that did it - a rival pimp or a thief or even just a terrified child who was trying to escape - well, they wouldn't need to worry about getting caught. It's a non-issue now."

"Okay." It was whispered.

Lin nodded slowly. "So. Let's get some lunch, then. And after that, I was thinking that I'd take you over to the woman who does my hair. You could use a trim. If you're going to be driving for the former King of the Earth Kingdom then it won't do to be looking like something the owlcat drug in."

Qi's hand reached up to finger the shaggy hair. "A haircut? I ain't...I ain't even ever ate in no restaurant before." The cheeks pinked up a little. "I don't have no good manners. I don't wanna make you sorry you brought me. Don't wanna shame myself neither." That stubborn chin tilted up a little.

Lin's hand moved up to cup Qi's cheek. "Manners can be learned. You just watch me and follow my lead. All right?"

"Okay."

"And Qi, if you ever need anything...well. If you ever need anything that a woman can help you with, you can come to me. I'll help as I can and I won't judge you for it. I've seen too much and done too much myself to ever judge someone else for their choices that don't hurt anyone else. In fact, I admire you for it."

Qi gave her a look so blatantly suspicious that it took everything in her not to laugh. "You admire me?"

"It's not easy to be who you are when the world wants you to be something you aren't. I admire that, yes." She shook her head and took her hand away, smiling. "Don't get used to me being complimentary, though. It's not really my thing. Oh. One more question before we go in. You know how to use a knife? I mean really use one?"

Qi shrugged a little. "Well, a bit. It ain't safe to sleep at night if you on your own if you don't. But I ain't no expert or nothin'." Qi reached around and produced a rough blade from a back pocket, handing it to her. "It did what I needed it to."

She looked it over and then handed it back, nodding. "After your haircut, I'm taking you to meet a woman I know. Wu's former bodyguard. She's just opened up a dojo here in town, she's a former Kyoshi Warrior. I want you to learn how to use knives properly. I'll even buy you your first set."

"How come?" Qi stuck the knife back into the pocket. Lin tried not to wince at the idea of keeping an open blade in a pocket like that.

"There have been assassination attempts on Wu. There might be more. There are a lot of people unhappy with his abdication. If you're going to drive him around, then I want to know that you can defend him if needed."

"You want me to kill anybody that tries hurtin' him." Qi's gaze was sharp.

"Yes."

Qi nodded. "I can do that." Qi leaned forward, soft voice fierce. "I won't let nobody hurt him. Not him. I promise. I might be a street rat, but my promise is good." Qi spat into one hand and held it out to her. With a fierce grin, Lin spat into her own and clasped her hand into Qi's.

"It's settled then. You drive him around, and you learn how to defend him. You do that and you and I are square." She pulled her hand back and nodded. "Come on, let's get some food. Is there something you don't like?"

Qi scoffed and pulled on the door handle. "I ain't never turned down food in my life and I don't reckon I'm gonna start now."

"Then you'll do just fine at Chin's. Let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The incident with Mako and Shizu the Scorpion is detailed in Wei's chapter of [Ten Years After The Fall.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/3699647/chapters/8356357)


	2. A Torrent Of Grief: Lin Gets News Of Her Mother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from Tumblr.
> 
> Lin and LoLo: Reacting to the other one crying about something.

LoLo sat on the bed and stared at Lin as she wandered restlessly about his bedroom. “You coming to bed or not?”

She shook her head. “I think maybe I’ll just go back to my place tonight. I probably shouldn’t have come over.”

“You want to tell me what’s wrong?”

“Who said anything’s wrong?”

“Lin. We’ve been doing this for about a year now. I’m not an expert on the intricacies of Lin Beifong or anything, but even I can tell that something’s wrong. You want to talk about it?”

She stood for a moment, fists on her hips, staring at the floor, before sighing. “Jinora - you know, Tenzin’s oldest girl?” She didn’t wait for him to confirm that he knew who Jinora was. “She came by my place tonight to tell me she’d felt my mother passing.” She waved one hand. “Some sort of airbending spiritual woo-woo crap of hers. Anyhow. Yes. Apparently my mother’s dead.”

LoLo shot to his feet, as quickly as his bad knee would allow him. “Raava’s light! Damn. Lin, I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”

She shrugged. “It’s not that big a deal. We weren’t close. Just surprised me, that’s all.”

“Lin. She was your _mother_. It’s a big deal.”

Lin flung out a dismissive hand. “I went nearly thirty years without seeing or speaking to her. It was probably for the best. We didn’t get along all that well.”

LoLo put a hand to her shoulder. “I knew the two of you were estranged, but I don’t think I knew it was for that long.”

“We had a complicated relationship.” She shrugged again and walked away from him. “It’s going to hit my sister much harder than me. Jinora was going to place a radio call to her as soon as she got back to the Island.” She picked up a framed photo of LoLo with his family that he kept on his dresser, glanced at it, and put it back down. “I guess she’ll want to have some sort of funeral or something.” She sighed. “I suppose I can’t get out of it. I’ll have to make arrangements at work.”

“You’ll tell Mako, of course. I’m sure he and Wu will want to come as well.”

Lin scowled at him. “Why the hell would they come? Neither one of them ever even met my mother.”

LoLo looked at her patiently. “They’d come to support you, of course.”

Lin scoffed. “Well, I don’t need any support. I’m fine, I tell you.”

LoLo ignored this. “I’ll come as well.”

“No. No you will not. Why the fuck would I need you to come? No strings, remember?”

LoLo stepped forward to put his arms around her. “Lin,” he said softly. “Lin. Honey. Of course I’ll come. I understand you were estranged, but she was still your mother.”

Lin broke free of him. “Oh, and that’s all I need. Mako hovering over me like a spirits-damned platypus bear mother and Wu crying his damn fool eyes out over some woman he never met! Not to mention you! How the fuck am I supposed to explain the cook coming along!” She slammed her hand down on the dresser. “I don’t even want to go! I’ll go for Su’s sake because I am trying my damndest to rebuild my relationship with her and her kids but if it were up to me I’d get drunk and have a little party to celebrate! Everyone raise a glass! Toph Beifong, the world’s greatest earthbender and the shittiest mother that ever lived! Don’t let the door hit you on the ass on the way out, Chief!” She spun suddenly and slammed her fist into the wall of LoLo’s bedroom, the plaster buckling and cracking underneath her assault. “Damn her anyhow! Damn her! DAMN HER!” She burst into tears, sobs pulling raggedly out of her chest, swaying with the force of it, her hands fisted against her chest, keening her grief.

LoLo wrapped her into his arms, holding her closely to him. “Oh, Lin. Lin. Honey. Lin.” He rocked her gently as she sobbed and wailed, pounding her fists onto his chest. He closed his eyes in sympathy as he held her through it, a few tears sliding down his own cheeks.


	3. An Uncomplicated Sojourn: Lin Meets LoLo's Parents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and LoLo visit his parents for the first time. Per several requests on Tumblr!

Lin studied herself in the hotel mirror. _Can't make a silk purse out of a moo-sow's ear_ , the old saying went, but she knew she was an attractive woman, as far as that all went. The scars on her face were unfortunate, but she'd come to terms with all that years ago. She'd tried, for a time, to cover them with cosmetics but it only made her feel more self-conscious about them and she'd stopped. She was still in damn good shape for a woman in her sixties; she kept up her training and while she wasn't as slender as she was at twenty, she was still in fighting trim. She knew of people that used dyes to keep their hair black but it had always looked harshly artificial to her and she'd rather just let her hair do its own thing anyhow. At least she managed to keep her thick and rather coarse waves in check for the most part.

She had always worn trousers when she wasn't working. She needed to be able to move at a moment's notice and skirts certainly hampered that kind of thing. Most of her civvies had been fairly utilitarian as far as that went; well made tunics and trousers, mostly in shades of flattering green or gray, tucked into a pair of knee-high laced up boots (with metal soles, of course). She'd never been much for florals or any other kind of busy patterns; she had always felt faintly ridiculous as far as all that went, what with her height and build. She'd never pass as a man, though, not the way Yumi often did. Besides, she had her own sense of style. It worked for her.

It was Qi who had approached her after she had mentioned at dinner a few weeks back that she was going to finally meet LoLo's parents. Qi had a fashion magazine in hand and had shown her a photograph of a woman in a pair of loose and flowing trousers under a hip-length tunic that narrowed in at the waist. _Thought it might look real nice on you, bein' retired an' all that,_ Qi had said, staring down at the floor, trying to bluff out what was clearly nervousness on Qi's part. She'd agreed, and had borrowed the magazine and taken it to the seamstress she had do most of her clothes. She'd even gone so far as to have a pair of flats with metal soles in a neutral color made to match. She was wearing the resulting outfit for the first time and she was pleased; both the short-sleeved tunic and trousers were a pale jade linen and Qi had embroidered decorative spirals in thread that was the same color, adding depth to the outfit without making it gaudy or showy. Wu had commented on the needlework and Lin realized that he had no idea it was Qi behind the needle. Well, that was for Qi to share, not her. She wasn't about to betray the few things Qi had told her in private to anyone else, not even LoLo. Lin Beifong was a woman who knew how to keep her trap shut.

She pulled out a tube of lipstick from her bag and applied it. She looked nice and it wasn't like she didn't know how to meet people and make polite chit-chat. She swore half of being the damned chief of police was about polite chit-chat. Chit-chat with the president, chit-chat with civic leaders, chit-chat with the press. Although she had been gradually transitioning a fair amount of that over to Song the past few years, preparing for her eventual retirement. He was better at the political side of all of it, that's for damn sure. She'd done it, of course - all part of the job - but she'd never had much patience for it. At least she did better with all of that than her mother had. She remembered Aang shutting his eyes and sighing silently when her mother would let one of her creative insults fly at the United Republic council members back in the day.

"You're a damn knockout," said LoLo. He was leaning against the doorjamb of the bathroom, grinning at her. "I'd suggest that we show up late for dinner but my mother'd never let me hear the end of it."

"Oh, that's exactly what I'd need to make a good first impression," she said, leaning forward to blot her lipstick. 

"I keep telling you, they are going to love you." He stared at her reflection before coming to put his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder, smiling at her in the mirror. "They are nice, uncomplicated people. No family drama here, I promise."

She sighed. "I know, I know. You keep telling me."

"Try to believe me then, okay? Anyhow, let's get a move on, I called for the cab and it should be waiting downstairs." He picked up the bag with the gifts for his parents before taking her hand and giving her a little tug; she let him pull her along, remembering to grab her handbag on the way out of the bathroom. Down the elevator and into the cab; once LoLo had given the address to the driver he sat back and smiled at her as the car pulled away and made its way down the street. "They don't live in the Imperial Caldera part of the city, of course, but Firelord Zuko was always more than fair with his salary and Firelord Izumi was as well. We grew up in a good solid middle-class neighborhood in the hills. My folks moved to a smaller place when they retired and left the house we'd grown up in to my oldest sister and her husband and their brood. Natsumi has ten kids." He laughed. "She outdid my mother by one. She used to joke with me that she was making up for all the grandkids I never gave them."

Lin cocked her head. "Do you think it bothered them? That you never had kids?"

LoLo was quiet for a moment. "At first, probably. Me being the oldest and all, too." He shrugged. "They've got thirty-three grandchildren at this - oh no wait, make that thirty-four, my youngest brother's wife had her baby last month. A boy. A few great-grandchildren already as well." He smiled. "Plenty to carry on the legacy, for sure. I'm not even the only cook."

"Right, your sister is head chef at the palace?"

His smile widened. "Shiza. Better cook than I am, truth be told. You've got her to thank for my komodo chicken, that's her variation on the traditional recipe I'm always using at home."

Lin had never done anything but pass through the Harbor City part of Capital Island, always on her way to the palace. She'd come a few times as a girl to the palace, of course, thanks to her mother's relationship to Firelord Zuko. She had known Izumi as a child but Izumi was much older, Bumi's age. She was nice enough, but always so formal, even then. It came from her mother, a woman whom her own mother had never liked. _Cold damn fish,_ she'd overheard her mother saying one night when they had all come to the palace see Izumi's investiture as the crown princess. Her mother had been sitting on the terrace of their guest room, drinking, when Sokka had joined her. _I think he only married her because your sister was already taken._ Sokka, already fairly far along in his cups, had only snorted. _They would have eaten Katara alive over here. Water Tribe girl? She would have been miserable._ Her mother had been quiet for a time and then: _Well, it's Zuko that's miserable now._ And then her mother had shouted at her to get her ass back to bed and Lin had gone, always obedient.

"Not a lot of cars here," she observed, watching out the window as they drove away from the Royal Plaza area where the hotel was located. 

"The tram system is so good that there are only a few cars on the whole island," the cab driver said. "Mostly just folks like me who make their living with them."

"Huh," she said, and reached out to entwine her fingers with LoLo's. He pointed out his window with his other hand, up the mountain to the Caldera, where the Palace and the Imperial City were located.

"There are trams that go up to the Caldera. Pretty much all of the folks that work up there live down here. It's a long and steep climb, what with the switchbacks and all. I wouldn't want to walk up and down it on a daily basis."

"It's just the nobility that lives up there, right?"

LoLo nodded. "They're all on top of each other, too. Tiny tall houses crammed next to each other without a yard in sight." He shrugged. "Status thing, I guess. Who understands how the nobility works? Weird bunch." He dropped a wink her way and laughed as she affectionately flicked him on the head.

They wound their way up the hill on the south side of the city, through clean streets with well-spaced houses, neat and cared for. Children were playing on the sidewalks and in parks, and she saw a few people out with poodle monkeys or prams. LoLo pointed again. "If we drove up that street we'd come to my parents' old house, a few blocks down. We'll visit tomorrow. It's an enormous place, it was always full of noise and people. Still is, with my sister's family there. There's a reason my folks retired to their own little quiet home instead of staying there, believe me. Ah! Here we are!" The cab pulled over next to a small house, dark wood with cheerful red trim. LoLo paid the driver and gave Lin a hand out of the cab. "It's going to be fine," he murmured and gave her hand a squeeze. They walked through the gate and the front door flew open, revealing two people in their late seventies. Lin recognized them from LoLo's family photo at home; his father, still hale, with the same wiry build as LoLo; his mother, with LoLo's wide-set coppery eyes and that exact same dimple curving in her cheek. She took a deep internal breath and reminded herself not to glare.

"Mom! Dad!" LoLo said, with genuine pleasure in his voice. He drew his mother in first for a big hug, only releasing her as she laughed, a little breathless. Next up was a hug for his father, who kissed his cheek, his eyes shining with tears. LoLo turned back to her. "Let me introduce you to Lin Beifong. Lin, these are my parents, Kazuko and Tomio."

"It is our pleasure," his mother, Kazuko said, smiling and bowing. "Welcome to our home."

"Well, Lozan told us you were a beautiful woman and he sure wasn't kidding," said his father, beaming at her, bowing as well. Lin returned the bow, smiling a little to herself. _Like father like son._

Kazuko stretched a hand out. "Please, do come in." She took Lin's hand in hers and drew her gently in. "Father's been cooking up a storm all day. I kept trying to put my spoon in but he wouldn't let me take a step inside the kitchen."

"Well, it's a special occasion! How could I do less than fourteen courses!" Tomio beamed again. "Now, you two visit with Mother here while I go and finish things up. It'll be a few more minutes."

Kazuko gave them a short tour of their small home. It was uncluttered, with simple furniture that was nevertheless of a very high quality, with a few pieces of artwork that had clearly been made by children. Lin was promised a glimpse of the kitchen the next day. "Father won't want us to interrupt him now!" The sliding doors to the small garden in the back were open, letting in the fragrant air. At Lin's interest she smiled again. "Our oldest granddaughter is the one keeping up the garden for us. I'm afraid Father and I both have black thumbs!" She laughed. "Please, let's take a seat while we wait for dinner."

As they sat, Lin pulled out a small package from the bag LoLo had carried. "A gift. I hope you'll accept it." 

Kazuko's cheeks flushed a little. "Oh, you are so kind! Many thanks!" She opened the tissue paper and pulled out a beautiful yellow silk scarf, embroidered with a delicate smattering of blossoms. She ran it through her fingers, her eyes shining. "Oh, Lin. This is just exquisite! Thank you!"

"Did Qi do it?" At Lin's nod, LoLo pointed at the embroidery. "Qi did that. You remember, the little driver I told you about?"

"Oh yes, the child off the streets? Oh my, what skill!" Kazuko fingered the scarf carefully. LoLo caught Lin's eye and gave her a smile and a little nod; his mother truly liked the gift. She was glad. She'd been nervous, trying to figure out what she could bring. It's not like her own mother would have been helpful; she very much doubted Toph Beifong had ever given a hostess gift in her life. Kazuko looked up to meet Lin's eyes. "Lozan tells us all of what's going on, you know."

"Speaking of which, Mom, I brought you the latest picture." He pulled a framed photograph out of the bag. There were the children; Naoki smiling into the camera, her front teeth in the process of growing in, Zhi with his eyes round in his surprise at the flash, baby Meili with her already thick curls ornamented by a big bow. His mother took it and ran her fingers down the contours of the frame, a wistful smile on her face.

"They're just getting bigger every day, aren't they? I can't wait to show it to Father." She stood up to put it in a cabinet with glass doors that housed an entire wealth of family photographs. "Now tell me, Lozan, how does little Naoki's bending go?" 

LoLo told her about Naoki's bending progress while Lin sat quietly. His parents were both benders, she knew, but they'd never done much more than light cooking fires with it. It was hard for her to reconcile it; not growing up the way she had, obviously. LoLo had always been utterly unconcerned by the limits of his own bending, though, the same way he never worried about not being able to drive or the fact that he was just slightly shorter than Lin herself. He'd just shrug and say that life was what it was, and he was content with the life he had. Sitting here in his parents' comfortable home she could well understand where he'd gotten that attitude. LoLo was not a complicated man. She would have turned up her nose at him when she'd been young, of course; he wasn't ambitious enough, not tall enough, too young for her, his bending wasn't much more than a sputter and a fizz. And would he have loved her? She'd been so damn angry in those days, so desperate to prove herself, lacking in both humor and insight. No. They'd met each other at exactly the right time. She watched him, his face animated as it always was, waving his hands to show some mishap Naoki had had with one of the camellia trees in the garden, that dimple winking in and out of sight. He was always so damn glad to see her, and he never hid it, either. He was never afraid to touch her, not even when she'd had a bad day at work and was tense and seething. He'd listen without comment until she'd gotten all of the venom out before turning off the lights and taking her into his arms, whispering all of his endearments into her ears, his long deft fingers soothing circles into her skin, taking away all of her cares of the day. _Put those shoulders down, old girl,_ he'd murmur. _Just be here with me, just me. Tomorrow's another day. You can go back to it tomorrow. Tonight, be with me._

His father came out and told them that dinner was ready. It was, indeed, fourteen courses; the kind of meal that they would have cooked for the Imperial Family once upon a time. Lin was cognizant of the honor being paid to her. It was also the most delicious meal she had ever eaten; each course small and perfect, plated with care for color and smell and appeal. She took her time eating and found herself drawn into the family conversation; the news about LoLo's niece that had just announced her engagement, the new grandson, the son-in-law that had switched jobs, the great-grandchild who had taken a tumble out of a tree and had ended up with a broken collarbone. She found herself telling them about how the newly completed direct train line between Zaofu and Republic City meant that she saw her sister far more often. Kazuko had patted her hand at that and smiled at her. LoLo, despite his father's protests, helped him bring in the courses, giving his father the wine they'd brought from Chow's vineyard and his father had opened the wine with delight, letting it rest before serving it. When the dinner was over they sat and chatted, Tomio explaining that one of the grandchildren would be over in the morning to do all of the dishes for some extra pocket money. 

Eventually LoLo stood up and took the bag they'd brought with them. His parents smiled at him. Lin knew where he was going; they had discussed it before they arrived. She followed him out to a small shrine in the garden, where he laid out the flowers, incense and the candle he brought. He also laid an offering of candy before gently lighting the candle and incense. He sighed, his eyes filling with tears. "Juza," he murmured, and Lin knelt next to him, putting her hand on his shoulder, staying with him until he was ready to leave.

They went back into the house where they had tea with his parents. They were tiring, though, and LoLo finally stood up and kissed them both. "We'll see you tomorrow," he said. They both bowed at Lin and she bowed back, thanking them again for the meal and the hospitality. As they were walking out Tomio made a joke and he and LoLo laughed uproariously together, eyes creasing up in the same way. Kazuko took that moment to put her hand on Lin's arm. "I've never seen him so happy," she said quietly. "Never. Thank you for all of the happiness you've brought to my son." 

They walked down the well-lit street together, hand in hand. "I thought we'd take the tram back," LoLo said. "It runs all night. The stop is just up the street here." There was a young woman with a baby in a pram waiting in the opposite direction; when her tram arrived LoLo helped her get the pram aboard and waved her off. "Ours will be along in a few minutes," he said, and then tugged her behind a tree and kissed her, grinning at her as she laughingly pushed at his chest.

"Are we teenagers?" she asked, and he tucked a wisp of hair behind her ear before kissing her again, more slowly and deeply this time.

"Thank you for coming," he said, when he finally pulled away, leaving her a little breathless. "It really did mean the world to my parents."

"You were right, of course. They are very nice people."

He cupped her face in his hands. "What you see is what you get with my family," he said, serious for once. "We just are who we are. And I am a man who loves you, Lin Beifong." She stared back into his eyes until he broke away suddenly, grabbing her and yanking her around the tree, waving down the approaching tram. He paid for them both and they found a seat together near the back, the tram mostly empty. Lin put her hand in his and he put his arm around her, her head automatically going to his shoulder. She smiled as she felt him kiss the crown of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More information (and a picture!) of the Capital City [here.](http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Fire_Nation_Capital)
> 
> [A wonderful illustration of Lin's outfit by Amira.](http://amiraelizabeth.tumblr.com/post/150212389366/ourimpavidheroine-wrote-a-drabble-where-lin-is) Posted with the artist's gracious permission.


	4. A Mingling Of Hands: A Visit To The Old Family Estate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Archiving a prompt meme from Tumblr.
> 
> Lin and LoLo: Slow dancing.

“So no one knows you here?” LoLo poured the last of the wine into Lin’s glass.

“Doubtful. I visited my grandparents as a girl but not all that often. I haven’t been back to Gaoling in I don’t know…what, fifty years? Not since I was in my teens, anyhow. Although I do look a lot like my grandmother, so I suppose someone might recognize me due to that. Even still, she’s been gone for a long time.”

“And the estate has just stood empty?”

“Well, besides the two servants that have been keeping it up all these years, yes. Su never wanted it and I certainly didn’t. I suppose we could have sold it, but they left the estate to both of us and we weren’t in any contact at all for years, so. Here it’s sat.”

LoLo took the last sliver of crab off of his plate with his chopsticks. “What does Su say about it?”

Lin shrugged. “I don’t think she cares one way or the other. Wing’s there in Zaofu, Wei’s in Republic City along with Opal and who knows about Huan. I suppose he might want it, but I doubt it. I can’t imagine him wanting the responsibility of a huge estate like that, although I could be wrong.”

“And the other one?”

Lin sighed. “Don’t ask me. Su keeps talking that he’ll go back to Zaofu once he’s served his sentence but she’s delusional.”

“Does she really think he’d be welcome there?” LoLo looked skeptical.

“Oh, my sister and her kids, who the fuck can tell her anything? Well. Anyhow, I don’t want to talk about my sister and her kids tonight.”

LoLo smiled. “Do you want some dessert instead?”

Lin scoffed. “Of course I do. Some more wine, too.”

LoLo motioned the waiter over, ordering some chilled fruit and cheese as well as some more wine. “So what’s our plan?”

“Well, I promised Wu I’d stop in and say hello to that old friend of his mother’s. Chun. Other than that, I just need to take a look around the estate, see what needs fixing and approve it, that sort of thing. Baatar’s been doing it every year since he and Su were married, so I guess it’s only fair that I take my turn. I suppose we’ll eventually have to do something with it, but who knows. Sell it? Re-purpose it? It’s big. Well, you’ll see tomorrow.”

LoLo reached across the table and took her hands in his. “Meanwhile, tonight we’ve got the entire evening ahead of us. Nowhere to be, no one to bother us. You’ve got on a dress and I don’t have an apron on. So what do you say, pretty lady? They’ve got a dance floor. Want to take a turn with me?”

“I thought we had dessert coming.”

“It’ll keep. Come on.” He stood up and held his hand out towards her before smiling that slow dimpled smile that got her, every single damn time.

“Fine. If it’ll make you happy.”

He led her out to the dance floor before putting his arms around her. “You do know that you’re the most beautiful woman in this entire restaurant, don’t you?”

Lin snorted. “You’re drunk.”

“Nope. Not in the slightest. Unless I’m drunk in love with you.” He pulled back his head to wink at her.

“I bet you think you’re pretty smooth, don’t you?”

“Oh, I _know_ I am.”

“Hmph,” she said, but she rested her cheek on his, letting him lead her around the floor. “I don’t know why I brought you with me.”

“Can’t bear to be bereft of my company, of course. Here you’d be, all alone, without anyone fondle those magnificent breasts late at night.”

She laughed, in spite of herself. “Pretty damned full of yourself, aren’t you?”

He pulled her in tighter. “I do love you, Lin Beifong,” he said into her ear.

“Well, I guess the feeling’s mutual,” she replied, entwining her fingers through his as he smiled into her hair.


	5. A Slight Prequel: What The Water Gave Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set right before Lin leaves to go up north in Chapter Six of Bouncing Off Clouds. This got partly written before getting cut. Now resurrected from the dead!
> 
> Lin learns to cook. Scratch that. Lin tries to learn to cook.

"Don't just dump the spice in a clump," LoLo said, and he took a pinch of chili in his fingers. "You want to sprinkle with your fingers." He demonstrated, sprinkling the spice into the sauce in a slow spiral. "It makes it much easier to stir into the sauce. You want to make sure all of the spice gets evenly distributed."

"It's a lost cause at this point," said Lin, staring at the wad of spice that she'd dropped into the pot. It was very slowly sinking into the bubbling mass. "Can't teach an old goat gorilla new tricks."

LoLo snorted at her and then smiled down at Meili, standing on a chair in front of the stove. "Okay, Blue Eyes, your turn. Show me how you sprinkle."

Meili solemnly took a pinch of chili and very carefully scattered it in a wobbly corkscrew. 

"That's my girl! Now give it a good stir. Gently! You don't want to send it flying out of the pot like your sister does." LoLo handed Meili a wooden spoon and she stirred the sauce slowly, the tip of her tongue poking out of her mouth with concentration. "Don't be afraid to get all the way to the bottom of the pot and stir what's there up to the top. That makes sure everything's getting equal cooking heat and won't burn. Yes, that's the way, sugarbun. Now let Lin try."

Meili handed Lin the spoon. Lin looked at it dubiously.

"It won't bite you, old girl. Come on, if the baby can do it, you can do it, too." That earned LoLo a patented Beifong Glare.

"I fail to see the point of me learning to do this," Lin muttered as she stirred.

"Cooking is a useful life skill that everyone should know how to do. Do you want to do nothing but eat here or at Chin's for the rest of your life?" 

"Yes!"

LoLo just laughed at her and pointed at the pot. "Make yourself useful and stir, woman."

"I don't see you trying to teach Wu how to cook," Lin grumbled. She leaned over to sniff at the sauce as she continued to stir.

"Papa's a bad cook," said Meili matter-of-factly. "It tastes bad. Only Daddy eats it."

"Well, I'll lay yuan your father has eaten worse than what your Papa makes. You be glad you have a nice home and LoLo to cook for you," said Lin. LoLo put his hand over hers and demonstrated how to turn and stir the sauce at the same time.

"I'm glad," said Meili. LoLo gave her a wink, which got him a smile back.

Lin kept stirring and sighed. "I don't know. Suppose this Po person isn't actually related to me?"

LoLo took his hand off of hers to pat her on her shoulder. "Then you've had a nice trip up north, gotten to see a little scenery. But that's not really what you're worried about, is it? I know you, you're more afraid that he will be your family and will find you lacking somehow."

"Damn know it all." Lin attacked the sauce with the spoon.

LoLo leaned over to kiss her on her cheek. "I know you're worried, honey. Just be yourself. We love you just the way you are, isn't that right, Blue Eyes? Even if you can't cook." He tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

"I love you," said Meili, and she reached from her chair to wrap her arms around Lin's waist. "You're my best Lin. Don't be scared."

Lin crouched down to Meili's eye-level. "And you are my best Meili, even if you are a better cook than me." She smiled and then straightened back up, accidentally upsetting the spoon still in the pot as she moved. A glob of scalding hot sauce launched out of the pot to land on her fingers. "Ah! Shit!" She dropped the spoon and yanked her fingers away. "Shit!" She shook her hand furiously, trying to dislodge the sauce.

"Oh, first casualty of the day! Let me see that," said LoLo, grabbing for her hand. "Hold still!" He looked at her fingers and winced. "Got yourself good with that one. Let's rinse them off and get some ice on them, I'm afraid they're going to blister."

"Shit! See, this is why I don't want to learn to cook! Damn it!" LoLo led her to the sink and turned it on.

"Rinse it in the cold water, let me fetch some ice. No, leave it under the water, Lin!" LoLo opened up the icebox and then cursed. "Where's the ice?"

"Zhi took it," Meili said. "To the backyard. To melt it to see how long it would take."

"Oh, that boy!" LoLo frowned. "Well, keep it under the cold water. I wonder if I could go beg some ice off of the neighbors."

"It doesn't matter," Lin said. "It's not that big a deal, just surprised me, that's all. I've had worse than a few blisters in my day." She frowned down at her hand. "Clumsy of me."

"Everyone burns themselves in the kitchen. Rite of passage. I still wish we had some ice, though. How many times have I told that boy to keep out of my things in here!"

Meili crawled off of her chair and walked up to Lin. "It hurts?"

"It's okay, Baby. Don't worry about it." Lin smiled down at her. 

Meili frowned up at LoLo. "Lin needs ice?"

LoLo ruffled her curls. "Never mind, sweetheart. We'll figure it out." He peered at Lin's hand under the running water. "Maybe I should go next door, though. Here, let me take a quick look." He took Lin's hand gently into his and pulled it away from the water as they both examined it. "Yeah, I better run next door. Better safe than sorry."

"Here's ice," said Meili, and she held out her hands, filled with a chunk of ice. "I can help."

Lin and LoLo stared at her.

"Meili, baby, where did you get that?" Lin asked. She glanced at LoLo, eyes wide.

"You need it. I helped." Meili thrust the ice out towards Lin. LoLo took the ice from her.

"Thank you, Blue Eyes." He motioned Lin to the table. "Sit down, Lin." Still keeping an eye on Meili, he grabbed a clean kitchen towel and wrapped the ice in it. "Put this on your fingers," he said. Lin sat down obediently and put the ice on her hand.

LoLo motioned to Meili.  "Honey, can you do that again? Can you make ice for me?"

Meili nodded and put her cupped hands into the sink, under the still flowing water. When she pulled them back out there was another chunk of ice. "I'm helping!"

LoLo scooped her up with one arm, settling her on his hip. He beamed at her. "You sure are helping! Did you just learn how to do that now? Can you make the water do other things?"

Meili nodded. She looked at the ice in her hands and it went liquid, drenching her and LoLo both. He laughed.

"That's my girl! What else?"

Meili leaned forward and frowned slightly at the water still coming out of the spigot in the sink. She put her hands out and the water jerked and stuttered up from the stream, raising in the air to come into her hands. She cupped her hands to catch it. "Water wants to come."

"Meili, how long have you been able to do that?" Lin raised an eyebrow at her.

Meili shrugged. "Water is coming when water is coming." She frowned a little and tried to send the water back to the sink. It moved through the air, wavered a bit, and then splashed to the floor.

"That's a very philosophical way of looking at it, Blue Eyes." LoLo laughed. He looked back at Lin. "It's not like it was unexpected or anything. Just a matter of time."

Lin shook her head. "Just not what I expected today, I suppose. I wonder how long she's been keeping it under wraps? Sneaky. Just like her father."

"It's okay, Lin? It's okay? Nobody's mad?" Meili's lower lip wobbled a little and her eyes filled up with tears. Lin motioned at her and LoLo brought her over, depositing her in Lin's lap. 

"Of course it's okay, Meili. Nobody's mad at you. You're a waterbender. You know what that means. You can make water do what LoLo and your father and Naoki do with fire. And what I do with earth and metal."

"But not Papa? Or Zhi?"

LoLo turned off the spigot. "Not everyone's a bender, Blue Eyes. Some people are, some aren't. It's something you are born with. You can't make yourself be a bender. You can't make yourself stop being a bender, either."

"Is Papa sad? Is Zhi?"

Lin smoothed down her curls with her free hand. "What, that they aren't benders? I don't think your Papa is sad. He has plenty of other things going on in his life, I don't think being a non-bender bothers him. I don't know about Zhi, though."

LoLo sat down in the chair next to them. "Ah, so that's it, then? You didn't want to show off your bending because you were afraid it would make Papa and Zhi sad?"

Meili nodded.

"Meili honey, you have to be who you are. Sometimes that might make other people feel bad or sad, but that's not your fault. Being a waterbender isn't you being mean, do you understand? It's a part of who you are, just like having blue eyes and dark skin." LoLo leaned forward to gently boop her on her nose with his finger. "You haven't done anything wrong. And besides, you helped Lin with your bending, didn't you!"

"It's feeling better?" Meili turned to look at Lin's hand, swathed in the kitchen towel. "Not hurting?"

"It feels much better. Thank you. You really helped me." 

Meili smiled happily. "I'm helping." Suddenly she wrinkled her nose. "That smells bad."

"Shit!" LoLo jumped up and yanked the pot off the flame. "Well. So much for that, then." With a grimace he turned off the stove and dumped the pot into the sink. "There, you see? Even the best cooks burn things occasionally. I'm not going to bother starting a new sauce, I'll just order take-out from Chin's and call it a day. Qi can go and pick it up. Meili, sweetheart, can you go and fetch Qi for me?" 

"Okay!" Meili wiggled down from Lin's lap and ran out the side door towards the garage.

LoLo walked over to a corner cabinet and took out a mop, running it quickly over the mess on the floor. "I can see we'll be needing this a lot more in the near future." He laughed. "Well, if I'd wanted a calm and orderly life I picked the wrong household for it." He wrung the mop out and put it back in the cabinet. "Here, let me take a look at that hand again," LoLo said, and Lin obediently gave it to him. He turned her fingers to and fro gently, examining them. "Good thing we had that ice, I think we've escaped blisters, at least. Put the ice back on."

"Well, at least she won't burn anything down, right?" Lin wrapped the towel back around her hand.

LoLo snorted. "One small blessing. Think she'll make a healer?" He stared down at Lin's hand and tucked the edges of the towel neatly around her palm. 

"I suppose she might. She's always doctoring all of those dolls of hers. I'll call Kya after lunch, she can come over, talk to her. Try her out a little. She told me the last time she was over that she thought Little Miss's been bending on the side."

LoLo shook his head. "No way of knowing. Be glad to see her get some training, though." He leaned down to kiss Lin. "Keep that ice on, woman, while I call Chin's. Any special requests?"

"Nope. Just the usual for me." 

LoLo nodded and walked towards the living room, where the phone was located. Lin took the chunk of ice out of the towel and looked at it critically. It hadn't melted at all. Suddenly she smiled. "I'll call Korra, too," she murmured to herself, and put the still solid ice back on her fingers.


	6. Festive Felicitations: An Anniversary Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wu and Mako celebrate their wedding anniversary. Lin and LoLo celebrate an anniversary as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a special request from Amira, who wanted more Lin and LoLo and a double date anniversary dinner! I hope she enjoys it!

The hired car had already pulled up and had been waiting for at least a half hour by the time Wu managed to make his way down the stairs. "Lin! You are an absolute _vision_! That dress is couture, isn't it?"

"If by couture you mean did I pay some jerk to make me stand there for hours while he marked all over me with chalk while I couldn't use the toilet, then yes. It's couture."

Wu beamed at her. "And in crimson instead of green, no less! You're branching out! I'm so proud." He nodded at LoLo. "And a new suit from you as well! My gracious! We certainly are all turned out this evening."

"Wu, we're late. They're going to give away our reservation." Mako was standing next to the front door, fist to his hip, mouth in that tight little grimace that meant he was annoyed.

Wu raised one eyebrow slowly. "Mako. Dearest. Love of my life. People do not give away _my_ reservations." With that he sailed out the front door.

"You know he's right," Lin said as LoLo offered her his arm and they walked out the door. Mako closed the door behind them with a particularly sharp grunt.

The car took them south, down to the hottest new restaurant in the city, situated atop a cliff, overlooking the ocean on one side and the spirit portal on the other. The doorman helped Lin from the car and opened the ornate double doors of the restaurant for them, the maître d falling all over herself welcoming Wu to their establishment for the first time. They were led to the best table in the house; the menu was perused and ordered from and drinks were brought.

Wu lifted up his Si Wong Sling in a toast. "Well. Happy Anniversary to all of us."

Mako blinked and lowered his glass. "It's our anniversary, but it isn't theirs. We're the ones who got married."

LoLo laughed and clinked his glass against Wu's and then Lin's. "Well, I guess it is our anniversary at that, isn't it, old girl?"

"Hmph. Is that what this is all about? Why you wanted us along? We're toasting to the first time LoLo and I fucked?" Lin snorted, slammed her glass into LoLo's, and downed half her shot of whiskey. "If I had realized I would have put on my fancier underwear or something." She leaned over to LoLo.  "What was that you called my foundation?"

"Oh, your Keep Your Hands Out Of My Lady Parts corset?" LoLo shrugged one shoulder. "Eh, it's okay, it cranks the look of the dress up a few notches. Besides, we managed to get you out of it fairly quickly the last time you wore it."

Mako grabbed at the bridge of his nose. "No. I don't want to hear about this."

"Well, not the phrase I would have used. I was thinking more along the lines of _consummating your relationship_ , I suppose. Or _Love's First Awakening_. That has a particularly nice ring to it, I think." Wu nudged at Mako with his glass. "Mako, you aren't toasting!"

"Oh, he's just upset at the thought of old people fucking," Lin said, rolling her eyes.

"Old people? Speak for yourself!" LoLo put on a look of mock outrage.

"I am not upset about old people...doing things," Mako said, crossing his arms over his chest. 

"Fucking," said Lin, leaning in close to him. "That was the word you were looking for."

"It's not about old people! It's about...oh, never mind!"

"Oh, stop teasing him," Wu said. "If you don't he'll just be grouchy the rest of the night, and if he's grouchy he won't take me out on the dance floor."

"I'm not grouchy, dammit!"

"Well, Mako, I certainly hope you don't have an issue with older generations engaging in acts of connubial bliss, because I for one don't plan on quitting once I hit my sixties."

"Did you really just say _acts of connubial bliss_?" Lin was giving Wu her best Beifong Skeptical Look.

Wu sniffed. "I leave the vulgarity to you. Honestly, I'm surprised your grandmother didn't wash your mouth out with soap. Nice noble family like yours."

Lin snorted. "Please. My grandmother used to carry on with the woman she'd hired to give us dancing lessons during the summers when we lived with her."

Wu's eyes lit up and his hand flew up to cover his mouth. "No!"

LoLo laughed. "You never told me about that!"

"Yeah. Well, I told you that Su and I spent our summers with my grandparents in Gaoling, right?" At LoLo and Wu's nods, she continued. "The summer that Su was six and I was twelve, my grandmother got it into her head that we needed to learn how to dance properly." She rolled her eyes. "Part of the woman's unending effort to make Su and me into proper nice Beifong ladies." She made a face to show her opinion about that. "Don't get me wrong, I actually loved my grandmother. Wouldn't give you a busted up yuan for my grandfather - I never did like him all that much and the feeling was mutual, believe me - but my grandmother was a different story. I have plenty of good memories of her. In any case, she hired a woman to come to the estate every day and give us dancing lessons. Su was the one who really took to it, not me. I can move without falling over myself, but Su? She's actually gifted at it. In any case, the dancing teacher would work with both of us on the traditional dances for an hour or so and then keep Su longer to work just with her. I'd go and do whatever, smack rocks around, explore the estate. In any case, one day when she showed up Su was sick in bed, so she worked with me for an hour and then my grandmother came to offer her tea. I took off like I usually did, but I'd only been gone for a half hour or so when I realized I was hungry. I thought I'd go back and beg some tea off of Grandmother. Well, typical me, I just threw the door open instead of knocking politely and waiting for permission to enter, and there the two of them were, on the sofa in Grandmother's sitting room, half-undressed by that time."

"Surprise!" said LoLo, grinning. 

"Yeah, I'd say. I backed out of there as fast as possible and I'm not sure who of us was more embarrassed."

"What did she say to you?" LoLo finished the last of his whiskey.

"Oh, not a damn word."

Wu was nodding in agreement. "Naturally. You simply don't speak of these things. Or at least not if you're old Earth Kingdom nobility." He held up a hand. "Or at least not _publicly_. Who knows what they were saying about my great-grandfather and his bear behind closed doors."

"Yeah, my mother talked about that bear."

Wu pursed his lips. " _Everyone_ talked about that bear." He and Lin exchanged a look.

"And here I thought Fire Nation nobility were a little on the odd side." LoLo said.

"In any case, I spent the rest of the summer spying on them. My grandmother and the dancing teacher, I mean."

LoLo laughed. "Of _course_ you did." He discreetly flagged down a waiter and ordered another round of drinks.

Lin threw her hand into the air. "Su was good at dancing, I was good at being nosy. Stick to your strengths." She turned her gaze to Mako, who was staring at her. "What?"

"Nothing. Not a damn thing." He shot back the rest of his whiskey.

"Well, spirits know what my father got up to. He had four concubines when he died, although I only really remember one of them. Well, I was very young, after all, and my great-aunt kept me in an entirely different part of the palace from him." Wu cocked his head. "Chaiyun. That was her name. The one concubine I met, I mean. I remember her as being very kind to me. She was very clever at folding paper into little animals, she used to make me little toys to play with, she'd sneak them over to me when the Dai Li weren't looking." Wu smiled, remembering. "Well, I suppose they just turned a blind eye to it, they never left my side." He sighed. "They sent his concubines home immediately after my father died, and very well compensated, too, from what I understand. I've always wondered what happened to Chaiyun."

"I'm surprised you didn't ask the same fellow who looked up my father to look her up as well," Lin said.

"I tried, but he couldn't find a trace of her. For all I know she's passed on, although she couldn't have been all that much older than I was, come to think of it. My father always did like them young, apparently." Wu frowned a little. "Well, never mind. Sad subject for a happy evening. Let's change it, shall we?"

"So, nine years married, hmm?" LoLo said, changing the subject smoothly. "And you knew each other how long before that?"

"It's been what, fifteen years now?" Wu looked to Mako for confirmation.

"Thirteen. Nearly fourteen." That actually got Wu a smile from Mako.

"There, Mako is the right one to ask. I was only sixteen, you know. Oh my, wasn't I impressed when you brought him in to meet me the first time, Lin!"

"Impressed is one word for it. You were practically drooling."

"Wasn't I just? So handsome! So stern!" Wu shivered theatrically. "There was no way I was letting him get away. Even though he once told you that he'd rather patrol the sewers than work for me a minute longer." 

Mako flushed to the tips of his ears. "You heard that? I...I never knew you heard that!"

Wu laughed. "Oh, I did. Cried for days over it, too. You broke my sixteen year old heart, I tell you." Wu clasped at his heart and made a very sad face.

Mako wasn't laughing. "I'm sorry. It was a cruel thing to say. I'm...I'm really sorry."

"Oh Mako, it was years and years ago. You wouldn't rather patrol the sewers now, would you?" Mako didn't answer, just took Wu's hand in his own and squeezed it tightly.

"Oh, he bitched about it, but he could have quit, you know." Lin pointed at Mako. "Did you a damn lot of good, playing nursemaid. For one thing, it meant you let go of the apron strings with your brother. If you hadn't been on duty living with Wu you probably would have moved back in with Bolin and he would have never gained his independence." She grimaced. "Not that I think working for Kuvira was the smartest move he ever made, but we all know he didn't have anything to do with what she was doing behind the scenes. But it was good from the whole independence standpoint. Gave you some polish, too." Here a nod at Mako. "Took a lot of those rough edges right off of you. Say what you want about Wu back then, but he had manners."

"I should hope so," Wu replied. 

"Taught you some patience as well, Mako. You came a long way in those years." Lin settled back in her chair. "Glad you figured it all out before I did. I spent all those years with Tenzin, spinning myself into circles. I would have hated to see you do the same thing with Korra, for both of your sakes. I was fairly relieved when the two of you finally broke up for good."

"Me too," said Wu, batting his eyelashes at his husband. That got him a smile in return.

"There were quite a few who were surprised when the two of you hooked up but I wasn't one of them. Guess I knew you well enough by then to see how you were behaving around him." She shook her finger at Mako. "I'll never forget how you set my damn desk on fire when my sister radioed about the attempted assassination. I swear to Raava I never thought I'd see the day where _you_ , of all people, would lose control of your bending that way. And never mind all of the months of moping around the station after it happened."

Mako stiffened. "I don't know that I'd call it _moping_."

"Like a lovelorn maiden. Like something out of one of Wu's trashy books."

"I might point out that you read those as well, you know," said Wu, shaking his own finger back at Lin.

"It all seemed to work out in the end, though. And then I took up with this one," Lin said, jerking her thumb in LoLo's direction. "I suppose it's been okay."

"She _supposes_ ," said LoLo, grinning. "Damned with faint praise, am I?"

"Hmph," said Lin, but she smiled. 

"At least I wasn't sneaking around in the middle of the night for years," Mako said, clearly still offended by the moping comment.

"I am grateful you don't want to meditate on your water chakra for three hours every time I'm hoping to knock a few boulders together in the bedroom, though." Lin said to LoLo. "That got real old real fast, let me tell you." She snorted. " _Airbenders_."

"Yeah, that's not how it works for firebenders." LoLo winked. "Isn't that right, Mako?"

"I'll say," replied Wu, with feeling. Mako just pretended as if he hadn't heard.

"Well, old girl, I'll tell you, I wouldn't change a thing. Not a damn thing." LoLo reached over with a finger and chucked Lin gently under her chin. "You were well worth the wait to finally get to meet you."

"Ha!" said Lin. "All this from the man that told me there were no strings attached."

"What can I say? Man gets burned twice, he's naturally a little reluctant to put his hand back into the fire. My father always did tell me that meeting the right woman would change my mind on that one, though. He's never been wrong yet, my father."

"Hmph," Lin grunted at him again, twining her fingers into his across the table.

"You're stuck with me now," said LoLo, taking her hand up and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm too old and set in my ways to go and try and replace you. Not that I could, anyhow. Only woman in the world for me."

"Zip it, Lozan," Lin said, but she was pleased.

"Ah, here we are," said Wu, as the second round of drinks appeared. "Shall we try this again? Happy Anniversary, everyone." He raised his glass, complete with miniature parasol. This time Mako raised his glass as well, and they all tapped their glasses together.

"Happy Anniversary," said Mako, his hand still in Wu's.

"Happy Anniversary, old girl," said LoLo, flashing his dimple Lin's way. "Plenty of strings but no regrets."

"Hmph," said Lin, and she hooked her foot around his ankle under the table. 


	7. A Sizzling Escape: A Holiday on Ember Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin and LoLo take a vacation on Ember Island.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This takes place directly after LoLo finished his treatment with Kya for his bad knee.
> 
> This is a little gift for a very pregnant amiraelizabeth, who wanted to read some Lin fanfic. Anything for the mother-to-be!

"I don't know about you, old girl, but I'm not moving from this hammock." LoLo wiggled his bare toes in appreciation. "You could come on over and lay in it with me."

Lin sniffed. "The last thing I need is for my old ass to get stuck halfway inside of the damn thing. I never could see the appeal." She hung up her traveling tunic and trousers and pulled on a loose cotton shift in a pale jade color. Her feet were bare as well. "Wu says that if you call the front desk they'll bring you drinks. They've got to have some whiskey here, don't they? Swanky place like this."

"Come on, lay here with me. You can see the ocean beneath you."

"I can see the ocean beneath me as it is. What are the chances someone's going to swim underneath this thing and try to take a look up my dress?" Lin scowled down at the floor of the bungalow. "How safe can it be to walk around on a glass floor anyhow?"

LoLo ignored her to take a sip of a tall drink, liberally infused with fruit and a small umbrella. "You know, this drink's not half bad."

"You're going to get sunburned if you lay out there in nothing but your shorts."

"Lin. I'm Fire Nation. I'm not going to sunburn. You're the one that has to keep that porcelain skin of yours in the shade." He glanced her way and produced his dimple. "Come on. I'll move the sunshade for you. Come and lay with me. Take off the dress, while you're at it." He winked at her.

"Hmph. I told you, I don't do hammocks." She wandered around the bungalow, picking things up and glaring at them. "Aren't we going to get cold at night without a wall there?"

"Fire Nation," was LoLo's only reply. He took another long drink. "It's not the rainy season. It's not going to get any colder at night." 

"How's your knee?"

"The knee is just fine. Kya cleared me. Now come on, get over here and give a man some sugar."

"I don't suppose we can trust the plumbing in this place, can we? We probably should have stayed in the hotel itself." She went into the bathroom; LoLo heard the sink turn on and the toilet flush. He took another pull off his drink before setting it to the side and undoing the clasp that held his hair back, sitting up a little in the hammock to rub at his scalp and arrange his hair so that it wouldn't get caught under his shoulder blades as he laid back down. 

"I could get used to this," he murmured, smiling, taking up his drink again.

"Well, at least there's decent water pressure in the shower," Lin called from the bathroom and he laughed a little. Lin came back out and glared at him. "What's so funny?"

"You are. Come here." He held an arm out to her, and finished with her inspection, she condescended to come to him, like he knew she would. He scooted over in the hammock and held it steady with his leg as she perched rather gingerly on it. Spirits but it was good to be able to use his leg without any pain in his knee. Bumi had told him that his sister was considered one of the best in the world; for once, he wasn't exaggerating. She really was. He smiled at Lin and handed her her own drink. "Give it a try. Fruity, but pretty good."

Lin ignored the straw to take a gulp. "Huh." Another gulp. "It's okay, I guess. For a fruity thing." She swallowed down half the glass in one go before nodding at his knee, her voice gentling like it did when she was alone with him. "You'll tell me if there's trouble, won't you?" 

"Gave you my word I would, old girl. But it's fine." He flexed the leg for her. "There's no pain at all. I can hardly believe it's the same knee, quite frankly."

Lin reached over to put her hand on it. "No swelling, either. And cool to the touch." She smiled at him. "Worth the three months of you whining on about having to be in the pushchair?"

He laughed. "I'd like to see you sit in a pushchair for three months and not whine about it. You wouldn't make it for three days."

"Probably not." She brushed her fingers through his loose hair. "You'll follow Kya's orders and take it easy, though, right?"

"That's why we're here. I'm not to do anything but relax for two weeks." He kissed her. "I can do that. I've got a hammock, drinks and my girl. What else does a man need?"

Lin tossed down the rest of her drink before putting the glass aside and resting her head on his chest. She entwined her fingers with his, closing her eyes. LoLo reached up with his spare hand and adjusted the sunshade a bit, making sure she'd have some cover. He knew she'd burn in a Republic City minute if she was in direct sunlight like that. "I've never been here before," she said quietly, once he'd settled back down. "I've been to the Imperial City, of course. With you, but when I was younger as well. The summer I was twelve my mother sent Su and me to visit. Izumi was already a grown woman and didn't have much use for us, although she was always kind. But I remember Zuko spending a lot of time with us. I think he really enjoyed us, despite the fact that Su tore that palace apart." She huffed a breath of a laugh. "She got it into her head that she wanted to make mud pies, which in Su's case meant she bent up an entire courtyard."

LoLo shifted and grinned down at her. "That was your sister? I remember that, believe it or not!"

Lin opened her eyes and smiled. "Do you? Really?"

LoLo nodded. "Sure. I turned four that summer. I think it took awhile to get it all put back together, it's not like we had any earthbenders sitting around. I remember going out there to look at it and my mother telling me not to go and play there." He laughed. "Oh, your sister's going to hear about it from me the next time we go to Zaofu!" He settled back down and repositioned Lin's head on his chest. "Well, think of that. There you were, in the same place as me."

"I never even thought about it before. I should have made the connection earlier."

"I bet I would have been in love with you even then. You were probably a cute twelve year old."

"I wasn't, believe me." Lin snorted. "I was tall and big-boned and awkward even at twelve. Su was the one everyone adored. She always was cute as a button."

LoLo shrugged. "I always did think those kind of women were overrated. Give me a strong woman with a mind of her own any time."

"Good thing. I don't think I could be cute. Even for you."

"Wouldn't want it, old girl. I like you just the way you came to me."

"Sentimental fool."

LoLo smiled, watching the sun starting to sink down in the sky. "Sentimental for you, you bet." He kissed the top of her head, pulling back her coarse curls with his free hand. "I do love you, Lin Beifong. There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be than here with you."

She didn't answer, but her fingers tightened in his. 


	8. A Journey At Dawn: Lin Takes Mako Fishing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin takes Mako fishing.
> 
> Inspired by a pic I posted from my Sims 4 game and by a challenge by Marezelle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [](default.asp)   
>    
> 

Wu was making sure Naoki got to bed and Mako had just put his feet up on the coffee table with a glass of whiskey when the Chief came into the room, a glass of wine in her own hand. She jerked her chin his way.

"You've got tomorrow off, right?" 

"Yeah."

"Any plans?"

"Not really, no."

She nodded. "Well, I've got something I want to show you. We'll have to leave early, though. About three in the morning, so set your alarm. Wear something warm and casual. Your boots, too. I'll provide breakfast."

Mako opened his mouth, but found he didn't know what to say. So he just nodded. Taking that as an agreement, the Chief left the room.

"What was that all about?" Qi looked up from Qi's embroidery.

"Damned if I know," Mako replied. "But I guess I better go to bed a little early tonight."

 

He woke up early the next morning, kissing a befuddled Wu back into sleep. He dressed himself but for his boots and crept down the stairs to the kitchen, quiet so not as to wake the kids. The Chief was already waiting for him, dressed in trousers and boots herself, with a padded coat. She had a large rucksack in her hands. He quickly laced up his boots and they walked out to the garage. "We'll take my car," she said quietly, and she pulled out into the street while he closed the garage door behind her. She flipped on the headlights as he got in and they started driving northeast.

They were silent on the drive up, which took about a half hour. Mako struggled not to fall back asleep; it was early, and he hadn't had any tea yet. He wasn't exactly what anyone would call a morning person anyhow. Finally the Chief pulled the car over and parked it into a little grassy area next to the road. "Grab the bag," she said, and she hopped out of the car to rummage around in the back, pulling out a covered basket which she slung over her back thanks to two leather straps. Next she slid out two long fishing poles. She handed one of them to Mako. "This way," she said, and they walked a faint path into a forested area, following it for about five minutes before the forest opened up onto a rocky beach of a lake, surrounded by mountains as well as the forest they'd walked through. Mako stopped short at the beauty of it, taking in a deep breath and looking around, stunned. He'd never seen anything quite so wild and so remote, even though they were only a few minutes from the road. "It's a good spot," the Chief said with a satisfied nod. She put down her pole and unslung the basket before holding out her hand for the rucksack. Out of it she pulled two small folding stools, two thermoses, and a small wrapped package which Mako was sincerely hoping had some food in it. She set up the stools and handed over the red thermos to Mako. "I can't abide the way you drink it," she said, sitting down and opening up her own thermos, pouring out black tea. "Surprised your teeth haven't rotted out already." She unwrapped the package and took out a a cold rice roll. "Help yourself," she said, and Mako did, taking his own roll and pouring out tea that had been laced with milk and sugar. The tea was still hot. The Chief nodded at it. "LoLo heated up the milk so it wouldn't get cold. Handy, that man."

Once they'd finished their breakfast, the Chief picked up a pole. "You ever been fishing before?" At Mako's shake of his head, she opened up the basket and showed him how to bait the hook before explaining and then demonstrating how to cast the pole. "Soft and easy, no need to fling the damn thing," she said, and after a few false starts Mako got the hang of it. She showed him how to hold it. "You start to feel a tug on the line, you give it a sharp jerk to set the hook and then start reeling it in. Net's there; I'll give you a hand since you're new at it and all." With that she cast her own pole and then sat down on her stool, surprising Mako to the core of his very being by pulling a pipe out of her jacket pocket and handing it over to him to light. At his look she shrugged. "Just a fishing thing." She pulled out another one and handed it to him without a word. Mako lit his up and sucked on it; the tobacco was unexpectedly sweet and smokey at the same time, far better tasting than the cigarettes he snuck behind Wu's back.

They sat there for a time, smoking their pipes and occasionally checking their hooks for bait. The morning air had a bit of a bite to it; it was chilly, but the air felt fresh and smelled divine. Mako was a city boy, through and through, but he thought, sitting there smoking that pipe, with the rising sun warm on his shoulders, that he'd never been anywhere more lovely or peaceful in his entire life.

The Chief tapped the ashes out of her pipe and then stowed it away. "I learned how to fish from Katara. Tenzin's mother, you know?" She smiled a little. "Aang was a vegetarian, of course, but Katara never had been and every once in awhile she'd sneak away and get a little fishing in. She'd taken Bumi with her once upon a time but he got older and joined the Navy and she used to take me after that."

They were silent for a time. The Chief put her pole between her clamped knees and poured herself a little tea, drinking it before shifting the pole back into her hands.

"My mother...well, you've heard me talk about her. I'm still not sure why she bothered to have Su and me. She was never very interested in being a mother. When I was small there were a few women who came in and out, sort of minders. Somebody had to keep an eye on me when Mom was at work, of course. Su came along when I was six and by the time she was two or three my mother, for some reason, decided that I was old enough to take care of her." The Chief snorted. "There I was, a nine year old, having charge of a three year old all day. Nights too, more often as not. You know what the job entails."

Mako frowned. "That's too much for a nine year old to handle."

The Chief sighed. "Not that I realized it at the time, of course. I was just a kid. But now? Seeing your kids? I don't know what the fuck my mother was thinking. It's not like she couldn't have afforded an actual full-time nanny. Her pay wasn't all that glorious as a police chief but she owned that house outright and she could have easily managed it. Not to mention my grandparents were as rich as damned kings." Another snort. "Well, not as rich as your husband, but who is?"

"Not very many people," said Mako. Wu was obscenely rich, as he had reason to know.

"Well, who the fuck knows. Probably someone said something to her and my mother, stubborn old bitch that she was, decided she'd show them who knew what was best for her girls. Never mind that she herself didn't know." She waved her free hand. "Anyhow. Katara wasn't at all happy about it. The two of us being alone like that, I mean. So she'd come across on the ferry, pick us up and take us over there. We'd stay for days at a time. Weeks, even. I guess she got word to my mother somehow, it's not like she could leave a note."

She reeled back in and frowned at the bare hook. "Nibbles but no bites. Damn fish anyhow." She re-baited the hook and Mako reeled his own line in to do the same. They both cast again and sat for a time. Eventually she spoke again.

"Katara was an amazing bender. Fucking amazing. I've never personally seen a waterbender to beat her. Kya's good - damn good - and I'd say she was her mother's equal at this point. But better? No. And she was all self-taught, you know. Katara. She was the only waterbender left down in the Southern Water Tribe as a girl, the Fire Nation had taken or killed all of the rest. She taught herself with scrolls and by just doing. Combat, healing, even bloodbending. She learned that from a former prisoner of the Fire Nation, she told me once. People like to talk about my mother and Aang and Firelord Zuko. And they were all amazing benders, for sure. My mother was crap at parenting, but that woman could _bend_.  But so could Katara. I've seen what she could do." The Chief shook her head, angrily. "And what do people remember her for? Being the wife of the Avatar. The mother of the Airbenders. Katara! The greatest waterbender of her age! Reduced to being a wife and mother. It made me so furious for her sake." She scoffed. "Hell, it still does, and she's gone now. Gone, and there she is in the history books, wife and mother."

Mako was quiet, listening. He'd met Katara, of course, but hadn't gotten to know her very well. She'd been very kind, very serene. Old. She'd also struck him as a little sad at the time, that much he remembered.

"I never wanted that. Lin Beifong, wife to Tenzin and mother to the Airbenders. Everything about me pushed into a side note, maybe a small photograph in the history books if I was lucky. Not to mention, I figured I'd make a shitty mother. I didn't have the best example, that's for damn sure. So nope, no marriage. No kids. I don't regret it. The marriage and kids thing, I mean. It was the right decision for me."

She stood up and cast again, settling back down onto her stool. The sun had risen even further and there was a bit of steam coming off of the water. "Your kids are great kids. Not that you need me to tell you, of course. But they are good kids. Happy kids. They get lots of time and attention. Lots of love. That house is not the same house it was when I grew up in it. You're a damn good father, Mako."

His eyes filled up at those words and he blinked away the tears. He kept silent, not knowing how to respond to that.

"I'm glad you let me share your life that way. Living there the way I do, taking a part in your family. I never wanted motherhood, but I kind of enjoy the whole grandma thing. Not that I'm official or anything. But you know what I mean."

Mako nodded.

"I just...wanted you to know that. I wanted to actually say it to you. I'm shit at this whole touchy feely thing, but you already know that about me, not like it's a shock or anything. But no one ever told me anything like that when I was a kid and it...well, it didn't do me any favors, let's just say that." She sighed. "When I was about twelve or so, Katara took me fishing. We caught a few and started a fire, grilled them up right there on sticks and ate them. Just the two of us. And she told me that she loved me, and she was proud of me and that she hoped I would know that she had always thought of me as a daughter." The Chief threw out that hand again. "I don't know if she ever knew what that meant to me. Well. Maybe she did at that, she was always a very perceptive woman, Katara." The Chief took a deep breath and looked at Mako. "Like I said, I'm shit at this kind of thing but I want you to know that even though I never had any kids and I don't regret that, I think you are a man that would make any mother proud. Including your own mother, may she rest in peace. I'm proud of you. You're a good man, a good father. Incredible bender, but you don't need me to tell you that. I'm not your mother, but I value you in my life. I just wanted you to know that."

Mako brought his sleeves up to wipe at his eyes. The Chief looked away and busied herself with the fishing creel until he was able to get himself back into order. He swallowed several times and wished he'd thought to remember a handkerchief. He was covertly wiping his nose on his sleeves as well when his pole suddenly gave a hard tug. 

"Haul it back!" The Chief said, motioning with her own pole. Mako yanked it back and felt the pole pull, the line squealing as it ran. "You got it! Reel it in! Slow and steady is the way to do it, you don't want that tricky little fucker to pull off the hook!" She grinned at him and he grinned back, reeling it in slow and steady, just like she'd said. The fish threw itself furiously into the air, scales a bright silver flash in the sun. Mako let out with an involuntary shout and kept reeling, and he heard the Chief's chuckle next to him. "You've got him now," she said, and she had the net ready when the fish, a big lake trout, came up to shore. She showed him how to safely store it in the lake to keep it fresh. "That's a damn fine fish for your first one," she said, and clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's catch a few more for our breakfast."

They sat there together for a couple more hours; Mako caught a few more (including a baby, which the Chief told him to throw back in) and the Chief herself caught a few as well. Mako lost one that snapped his line; at his grunt of rage the Chief let loose with one of her rare laughs before showing him how to re-string the line. Eventually she showed him how to gut and clean them, and he started a fire and they roasted them, turning the fish slowly to cook them all the way through before eating them right off the sticks, greasy and blisteringly hot. Mako had never had anything more delicious.

The Chief rinsed her hands in the lake and wiped them off on her jacket, which had clearly seen a fair amount of abuse in its time. "Maybe one of these times we could bring the Butterfly out here with us, show her what's what," she threw out casually.

Mako smiled. "She'd love it."

The Chief snorted. "If we could actually wake her up that early, that is." She packed up the fishing creel with the rest of the fish, while Mako closed up the stools and repacked the bag, making sure they hadn't left any trash behind. "LoLo will be glad to get the fish for dinner. He told me if we didn't bring any home he'd have to call Chin's and order us take out for dinner."

"Wouldn't want that," Mako said.

"Fuck no," she responded. As they started back up the path that led to the car, she sniffed. "Probably be coming back out next week again. If you'd want to come, that is."

"I'd like that," Mako said, and she nodded and held a branch so it wouldn't slap him in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is for my Daddy, who used to take me - just me - fishing when I was a girl. Some of the best memories I ever had: him with a thermos full of coffee and me with a thermos full of cocoa, eating powdered donuts and sitting together, quiet in the silent morning. The last time he took me was a few months before he died, when I was twenty-six; I started a fire and he cleaned them and we grilled the trout and ate them right there. I still miss those fishing trips.


	9. An Accommodation In Need: Qi Asks For A Favor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Qi asks Lin for a favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter refers directly to this [ficlet](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8306261/chapters/19023130) as well as this [one.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8306261/chapters/20026549)

She glanced up from her book to see Qi hovering in the doorway. That right there told her that something wasn't quite right; Qi could disappear and reappear at will in way that was damned near uncanny, but hover? Never the kid's style. She jammed a scrap of paper that Zhi had doodled on into her book to keep her place and set it down on the end table before meeting Qi's eyes.

"You going to stand there all day or are you going to tell me what's got you in such a tizzy?"

Qi bit Qi's lip and shifted uncomfortably, looking away. "I...uh..." Qi's fingers twitched a little. Normally neither a stammerer nor a twitcher, either; something was definitely up. Qi's eyes slid to the window and then back to her, and she suppressed a sigh.

"I'd suggest going for a walk but it's pouring down rain." She thought for a moment. "Let's go above the garage to your old rooms. We won't get disturbed there." At Qi's look she snorted. "I wasn't born yesterday, you know. You're not as opaque as you like to think you are. Come on, then." She stood up with a bit of a grunt and waved Qi ahead of her. She hadn't been up there since Qi had moved into the house itself, a year back. Wu had redecorated it to serve as a guest room; there were subtly expensive furnishings and a few tasteful pictures scattered in appropriate places on the walls, that sort of thing. Sterile, though, like something out of a magazine. Qi had always kept these rooms clean of both dirt and clutter, but they'd still felt welcoming. She took a seat on one of the new chairs and jerked her chin at the sofa. Qi sat, but reluctantly.

"Okay, we're alone. Spit it out."

Qi stared down at the floor for a moment before muttering, so low she could barely hear it, "Wu asked me to marry him."

She felt her eyebrows raise of their own accord. "He what the fuck now?" Qi just sighed mournfully. "Oh, for the love of Raava." She slapped a hand on her knee and tried to pull herself together; Qi was clearly miserable enough, she didn't need to add to it. Damn the man, though. She took a deep breath. "Okay, so let's start from the beginning. When did he ask you?"

Qi shrugged, still refusing to meet her eyes. "A few weeks ago, when he took me out to that hunting lodge he gave me."

"Wait, you're telling me that when Wu took you out there he proposed to you and you just haven't said anything to anyone?" 

Qi’s head shook slowly. “I told Mako on the way down to visit his folks. He didn’t take it very well.”

“Oh, I’ll just bet he didn’t.” She blew out a breath in disbelief, massaging a bit at her forehead. "Fuck me sideways, what a damn mess." At Qi's unhappy look she reached over and put a hand on Qi's arm. "Not that it's your fault, I'll lay odds that you had no idea he was going to do it." 

“No.” Qi looked like a goat dog that’d been kicked a few too many times.

She sat back in her chair with a grimace. "What the fuck goes through that puffy little head of his I will never know." She mentally counted to five to keep herself from marching down the stairs to strangle the man. "Right. Okay, moving on. Have you said anything to Wu about it since?" Qi's head shook again. “And what, exactly, did he say to you?"

"He basically said that it would cover all our legal bases if I did it. Oh, and that I could fuck Mako then. He'd allow it." If you didn't know Qi you'd probably miss the undercurrent of anger in that soft voice. She knew Qi, however. It was rare to see Qi angry, but everyone had their limits, and Wu had been trampling all over Qi's for some time now.

"Well, shit. You know I'm fond of him, but he's never been one to think about the consequences of his actions." 

"Like I need his permission to do whatever it is I want to do." Qi's hands clenched up into fists. "Tells me I'm his family then treats me like I'm nothin' more than the scullery maid." Qi met her eyes then. "Took everythin' I had not to just leave his damn skinny ass out there."

Lin snorted. "Maybe you should have."

"Mebbe I shoulda, at that." Qi slowly unclenched those fists and pushed them along Qi's thighs, taking several deep breaths. "I been- no, I've been so angry about it. I tried to get past it, but I ain't- no, I haven't, damn it all anyhow-" Qi broke off to take in another ragged breath and she slid off the chair to sit next to the kid on the sofa. Ah, but Qi was going to break her heart; she knew how hard Qi had worked on losing that guttersnipe dialect. Damn Wu, anyhow!

"Look, you've got a right to be angry about this. Frankly, I'm surprised you were able to hold it in this long. I probably would have dumped a boulder on him right then and there." That got her a little grin, just like she was hoping it would. She risked an arm around Qi's shoulders and nearly sagged with relief when the kid actually leaned into her just a bit. "Tell me how I can help you. What do you need from me? You know you can talk to me about whatever, but I'm guessing you need something more than just conversation. It's yours, if I can give it."

"I...I want to ask you a favor. A pretty big one. You can say no, I don't-" She put a firm hand to the back of Qi's neck.

"Enough of that. Just tell me what you need." Qi nodded under her hand and she left it there.

"I was wonderin' if I could stay at your flat for a bit." Qi's head turned quickly and Qi's eyes met hers. "I mean, you don't stay out there much and I know it's an imposition-"

"Yes."

"-and I could...wait, what?" Qi blinked.

"Yes, you can stay at my flat. Stay as long as you need."

"Oh. But...I..." Qi trailed off and she couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"But you had a whole explanation worked up for me?" She tightened the hand still on Qi's neck just slightly. "You don't need it. All you ever have to do is ask me. Do I make myself clear?"

Qi nodded under her hand. "I just...it's a big thing to ask..."

She snorted at that. "It's been months since I've slept over there, and even then it was only because LoLo had a cold and he was snoring so loudly I just about killed him. I hardly have anything personal left as it is. Don't get me wrong, it's got everything you need. Bed and basic furniture of course, kitchen's got dishes and a few pots and pans, that kind of thing. Not that I ever cooked much, more of the principle of the thing, I guess." She patted Qi's neck and then let her arm slide back down around Qi's shoulders. "I've got a cleaning service that comes in twice a month to give it a bit of a shine and all the utilities are paid up. I've even got a phone there, leftover from my working days."

"I'd still be here during the day. I'm not about let Wu drive himself around. Besides, I have things to do, who's going to take LoLo to the market or read to the baby?" Qi swallowed. "The kids won't like it."

She sighed. "No, they won't. But we'll explain that it's just temporary. I'm not saying they won’t throw a fit but you need to do what you need to do." 

Qi was quiet for a bit, fingers plucking at Qi's trousers. "I don't want to move out forever. I just need to think."

"Oh, I get it. You don't need to justify it to me."

"It's not just the proposal thing. It's everything. The photoshoot..." Qi glanced up at her, giving her a wry smile. "I've been asked for my autograph, of all things. I still can't figure that one out. Who gives a damn enough about me to want me to sign something? Bolin, I get; he's famous, I can see why people would chase him down. But me?"

She smiled and gave Qi’s shoulder a playful little slap. "Republic City's new style icon, remember?" 

"It's...I need to think about all of these things. I just need some peace and some time. Not forever. Just until I can get my head on straight." Qi looked down again. "And Mako..." A quick glance. "I mean, not that anything's happened. I swear."

She shook her head. "Unlike my mother, I'm not blind. None of us are. But yes, I agree, you do need to figure all of that out." She shook Qi's shoulder a bit. "Not because I've got some sort of morality stick up my ass or anything, either. You deserve to have your needs met, not to mention some happiness in your life. I used to think that kind of thing was bullshit that only romances tried to sell but I'm not sorry to admit I was wrong on that one." Her smile was a little rueful. "Damn that old charmer anyhow." 

Qi's head tilted just slightly. "You think you'll ever marry him?"

She shrugged a little. "We've talked about it. He was pretty damn unhappy in both of his former marriages, and there was a time he swore he'd never do it again. I don't think he feels so strongly about it now, but I don't care one way or the other and it's nothing pressing for him, so." She glanced over at Qi, who was giving her just a bit of that engaging gap-toothed grin.

"So."

"You can keep your comments to yourself, thank you." That got her more of the grin, and she was glad. Qi was a good kid, and deserved better than getting yanked around by Wu's whims. Spirits knew Mako had gotten yanked around himself, but he'd held his own. He'd already had a taste of being in the spotlight, though, what with the pro-bending and dating both Korra and Asami. Qi'd been thrust into the spotlight unprepared with that Sassy Magazine stunt; she wasn't altogether convinced Qi had known exactly what Qi was in for with that. Still, Qi had a good head. Wanting to take some time alone and think it through was a damn sensible approach, and she was proud of the kid. She'd always hoped Qi was going to go far, from that first day when she'd made Qi drive her around in Wu's car to prove that Qi could. "All right, then," she said, and stood up. "Let me go and get my keys, and we can drive over there. I'll need to introduce you to the doorman and the neighbors on my floor so they know who you are before someone calls my replacement on you. I'll show you around the place and then you can come on back here, pack yourself up a bag with whatever you need. I've got a reserved parking space, too, so you can take your car." Qi stood up and opened the door for her and followed her down the stairs. "You'll want to watch out for old man Hachiro down the hall, though. Worst gossip I ever met. If you let him, he'll get right up in your business. Every time I go over there I keep thinking he's got to be dead by now, but no. He'll live to be two hundred, just to spite the rest of us." At Qi's chuckle she smiled. 

"Thanks, Lin," Qi said softly, and she wasn't sure who was more surprised, she or Qi, when she took Qi into her arms for an embrace.


	10. A Clarification Of Intent: Lin Speaks To Naoki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lin talks to Naoki after her Demi Kai in Chapter 3 of [A Fervent Conflagration; Or A Dispatch Regarding The Investiture Of The Crown Princess.](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7831273/chapters/17877085)
> 
> This one was a request from lovealg.

She brushed her teeth; changed into her pajamas, put cold cream on her face, clipped a slight hangnail that had been giving her grief most of the day. She drank a glass of water. She picked up her novel; she put it back down. She did this several times. She drank another half a glass of water. She used the toilet. She cleaned her reading glasses. She walked out to the terrace; she walked back into their room. She sighed.

"You know, you could keep this up or you could just go and check on her." LoLo looked at her over the tops of his own reading glasses, laying on the bed, his book in his hand.

"Hmph." She flicked out a hand. "I'm sure Mako has her in hand."

LoLo licked the side of his thumb and turned the page, eyes going back down to the print. "True."

She waited, hands creeping up to rest on her waist. "Well, is that all you have to say about it?" He remained silent, keeping his eyes on his book while flashing that dimple at her as he showily turned another page. "Damn you anyhow," she said, and stomped out of their room before his amusement became vocal.

Mako was standing in the hall, frowning. "Did you see where Wu went?" 

"Like I have time to go chasing after Wu," she replied. "But if I were looking for Wu, I'd look for Qi. And if I were looking for Qi, I'd try the airship." Mako grunted at that and walked past her down the hall, upset enough that he forgot his manners. Not that she blamed him. She wasn't really feeling up to manners herself. She waited for him to turn the corner and quietly went to the door to Naoki's room, opening it just a crack. "Are you awake?" she called softly through it.

There was an audible sniffle. "Uh-huh."

"Can I come in?"

"Uh-huh."

She closed the door behind her with a soft snick, creeping her way across the room until she came to Naoki's bed, sitting herself down on the edge. "You okay?"

"Uh-huh." It was a watery, wobbly affirmation, though.

"Oh baby, are you crying?" She reached out a careful hand and found her thigh, gently squeezing it. 

"Uh-huh," and then the bedclothes rustled and her arms were full of a weeping girl.

"All right," she said, bringing up a hand to the back of her head, sighing. "Best to just get it all out now." Naoki had never been one for a long, drawn out sobfest; she didn't cry often but when she did she cried hard, a fierce storm of weeping that usually left her wrung out and exhausted. But that was Naoki for you; she never did anything without throwing everything she had into it. She held her and let the torrent pass through her until the sobs fizzled out into little hitches of breath. Spirits knew her pajama top was soaked and she hadn't brought another. She'd have to do without, then. Not that LoLo would mind; that man would take any excuse to feel her up. She smiled a little to herself in the dark. "You got it all out?"

"Uh-huh." This one sounded more like herself.

"Good. Now go run into the bathroom and wipe your face off and blow your nose, then come back in here and tell me about it." Naoki jumped out of the bed and did as she was told; she waited for her, patting at the sodden mess of her right shoulder. Ah well. Naoki flung herself across half the room to hit the bed again, twisting and wrestling until she got herself under the covers. "So. Spill."

"That kid was a real asshole." 

"Goes without saying. Although you can say it again if you want to."

"That kid was a real fucking asshole!" 

She had to bite her lips not to chuckle at the indignant tone. "No argument from me. Or anyone else, probably. Although don't you let your parents hear you using that kind of language."

"I'm not dumb, you know. Besides, I'm never going to top what Meili said at Uncle Bo's wedding. I thought Papa was going to faint dead away right there."

That did get a little chuckle out of her. "You and me both." She patted her leg again. "So. You want to tell me why the waterworks?"

Naoki was quiet for a bit and she let her be, let her get her thoughts together. When she finally spoke, she was hesitant; something she rarely was about anything. "I don't know why that boy did that. Tried to kill me, I mean. Because lightning can kill you."

"That it can, yes."

"I mean, I guess he was mad because I beat him. And it wasn't hard you know, he wasn't that good." Naoki wasn't bragging, she knew. She was never a braggart. She was just stating a fact as she understood it. 

"He was pretty good for a seventeen year old."

Naoki stirred at that. "Lin, he really wasn't. His form was sloppy, for one thing. He relied too much on his anger, for another. I had to pull back on him, I could have really hurt him."

She sighed and rubbed her leg again. "You can't compare other benders to yourself, Naoki. Believe me when I tell you, he was very good for a teenage firebender. There's a reason kids are only allowed Demi Kais, and one of those reasons is because they don't have full training or control. It's normal for kids his age."

"But he's so old!"

She couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I know seventeen must seem pretty old to an eleven year old but trust me when I tell you, it's nothing at all. That boy is exactly that; a boy." 

"I guess..." The skepticism in her tone was all Mako and she felt a little surge of love for the girl.

"We've talked about my mother before, you and I."

"Of course we have! About her school and stuff."

"That's right. And my mother, in her prime? She was the best earthbender in the world."

Naoki sat up. "Wait. Even better than Avatar Aang?"

"Yes, and Aang would have been the first to have admitted it. In fact he did admit it, more than once. Don't get me wrong, he was the Avatar, he was a very powerful man, a better bender than just about anyone else in the world. But earthbending was the one bending subset he was never all that fond of." She patted the bed. "Lay back down now." 

"Okay." She snuggled back onto her pillow.

"My mother was a very confident woman. It was how she really felt, not something she put on to make herself feel better or to fool other people into thinking she was better than she was. She knew she was the best, and she wasn't ashamed of it, either. She was proud of her accomplishments."

"Well, yeah! She was Toph Beifong! We studied her in school, you know."

She smiled. Oh, the things her mother would have said to that. "I know. It was usually a good thing for my mother, being the best. She had her school for a time and then she founded the Republic City Police Department, became its first chief."

"Like you were."

"Yes, like I was. But there was one problem with her being the best, however."

"There was? I don't believe it, Lin." That skepticism again. She gave her knee a little push.

"Do you want me to tell you or not?" A little grunt from Naoki and she grunted right back. "All right then. See, there are always people who look at the person who is the best at something and they want nothing more than to tear them down." She took a breath in and absently smoothed the covers over Naoki's chest as she let it out. "I don't know why. Jealousy probably accounts for a lot of it. A need to make themselves feel better by dragging someone else down. A need to prove themselves and they think the only way they can do that is through smacking down the best. There's probably as many reasons as there are people."

"That's just dumb."

"Agreed. But whatever the reason, people used to come after my mother on a fairly regular basis. Mostly earthbenders, although other benders every once in awhile, too. Even a few non-benders who clearly had a death wish. Don't get me wrong, I don't think any of them really posed a challenge to her." She laughed a little at the memory. "Depending on her mood she'd either play with them for a little while or she'd just knock them across the room and be done with it before they could even get a rock in the air."

That got a laugh in return out of Naoki. "That's pretty funny. I wish I could have met your mom."

"Oh, she would have gotten a huge kick out of you, that's for sure." She reached out in the darkness and gave a little tug on one of her braids. "She would have just adored you." She would have, too. She'd always been more than a little regretful that her mother had never met Naoki. What she would have said to her living with this family and acting as a de facto grandmother she had no idea, though. Probably given her a ration of shit over it like she did to most things she had ever cared about. Well. It didn't matter any longer. She sighed to herself and let it go. "The thing is, Naoki, is that you are probably the best firebender your age in the world."

There was a silence at this. Then, slowly; "I don't think that's true."

"It's true." No point in lying to the girl, not after what had happened that day. "Listen. You've got some of the best firebenders in the world training you. Your father, for one thing, and Korra as well. Korra is a damn fine firebender, Naoki, one of the best."

"And she's the Avatar."

"And she's the Avatar, which never hurt anything either. Plus you've picked up a lot about bending from other amazing benders."

"Like you and Tenzin and Uncle Bo and Kya."

"That's right. In short, you've got connections, kid. But even at that, you've got more natural firebending talent in your pinkie finger than most firebenders have in their entire bodies. Look at LoLo."

"LoLo's not that bad!"

She smiled and tugged the braid again. "LoLo knows what kind of firebender he is. He's not jealous of you. On the contrary, he's so proud of you. You should have heard him go on and on about it after the Demi Kai."

"Really?" She squirmed a little, her tone hopeful.

"Naoki, he is probably prouder of you than all the rest of us put together. And he tells you so, too. I've heard him."

"Yeah." She could hear the smile in her voice.

"The thing is, what happened today was very public. Plenty of people were there and saw it. Plus add to that that you are a princess and a personal guest of the Firelord and I'd be surprised if it wasn't in all the papers tomorrow. And that includes in Republic City and Ba Sing Se, too."

"Okay?"

She sighed. "So it means that instead of only a small group of family and friends knowing how really good you are, a whole slew of other people are going to know now as well." She let Naoki think about this for a time, rubbing at her knee. Her terrace door was open, letting in the night breeze as well as the scent of jasmine. She remembered that smell from childhood visits with her mother and Su, staying in this very same wing of the palace, listening to make sure that Su wasn't trying to sneak out in the middle of the night to go and pester the dragon. She'd always been a little intimidated by Izumi in those days; she was a year older than Bumi, beautiful and composed, seemingly impervious to the kind of teenage awkwardness she'd stumbled her way through. She knew differently now; Izumi's marriage hadn't been the happiest and the business with her poor daughter was a fucking tragedy. It's just that unlike the Beifong girls, Izumi had always carried it all inside. 

"Does that mean they might try to fight me like they tried with your mom?" She sounded uncertain, a rarity for her. On impulse she took her into her arms again, pulling her up to sit in her lap, the covers tangled into her legs. Naoki clutched at her.

"It does, yes, and I'm sorry for it, too. I'm hopeful that they might keep back for awhile because of your age, though, most adults don't want to be known as the one who tried to come for a little girl." She kissed her cheek. "Naoki, I won't lie to you. You are still so young and I hate that I need to have this conversation with you. But you need to be ready. Pretending it isn't going to happen won't do a damn bit of good for any of us." Something which Mako was in some pretty damn serious denial over, too.

Naoki nodded into her cheek. "I'm glad you told me. I mean, I'm not glad that people would try to fight me for dumb reasons." A little sniff. "Although I would kick their asses if they did. But that's what they get so I'm not sorry."

She laughed and squeezed her. "My mother would have agreed." 

"So that's why that boy shot that lightning at me? Because he was mad? Or jealous?"

"Yes to both, probably. And, I venture to say, because he was embarrassed about getting his ass kicked by a little girl and losing face in front of half the damn Fire Nation, not to mention the Firelord as well as his Master." She disentangled her and lay her back down, pulling the covers back up after another kiss. "Not to mention most seventeen year old boys have some impulse control problems, which was probably not helping."

"Like I said, real fucking asshole." An intake of breath turned into a yawn.

"Oh yeah." She patted her shoulder briskly. "All right, that's enough of this. We've got an early start tomorrow, your father needs to get back to work. You think you can go to sleep now?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Good." She stood up. "You need me tonight, for any reason, you come on in and get me, okay?"

"Okay."

She walked back towards the door, plucking at her wet shirt before opening it just enough to slip through.

"Lin?"

"Yes?" She paused, turning around.

"I love you."

She smiled. "I love you too, Butterfly. Sleep tight, now." She closed the door behind her and walked slowly back to her own room.

 


End file.
